"I dream of a world where the truth is what shapes people's politics, rather than politics shaping what people think is true."

I, YJ Draiman, Candidate for mayor of the City of Los Angeles, propose a joint effort to fix our city and re-establish Los Angeles as one of the most vibrant, productive and progressive cities in America.

In order to achieve this goal it will require you the people ofL.A.and me, as Mayor, to roll up our sleeves and work elbow-to-elbow together, or it won’t be done. What has to be done has to be done.

I am not asking for you to give something to your city, rather, I am asking you to join me in doing something with, and for your city.

I am not asking for your gifts, but for your assistance, because hand-in-hand, united in our common cause, we will NOT fail.

I believe there is no greater force than the will and spirit of the people ofLos Angelesif we choose to unite and work together.

The American ideal is not that we all agree with each other, or even like each other, every minute of the day. It is rather that we will respect each other's rights, especially the right to be different, and that, at the end of the day, we will understand that we are one people, one country, and one community, and that our well-being is inextricably bound up with the well-being of each and every one of our fellow citizens.

YJ Draiman believes in principles and integrity over profit and personal gain

YJ Draiman certified by the Los Angeles Election Division as a Mayoral Candidate in the March 7, 2017 Elections.

News Bulletin - Draiman News Agency - Monday, Dec. 12, 2016

YJ Draiman is certified as LA mayoral candidate to be on the ballot in Los Angeles elections which will be held on March 7 2017 – http://draimanformayor.com

Don’t just hope for a better life – vote for one - Vote for YJ Draiman as Mayor of Los Angeles on March 7, 2017

YJ Draiman for Mayor of Los Angeles 2017

"A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others.
He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent."

City of Los Angeles Candidate Related Updates from the Office of the City Clerk.

Don’t just hope for a better life – vote for one - Vote for YJ Draiman as Mayor of Los Angeles on March 7, 2017

Los Angeles 2017

I, YJ Draiman, Candidate for mayor of the City of Los Angeles, propose a joint effort to fix our city and re-establish Los Angeles as one of the most vibrant, productive and progressive cities in America.

In order to achieve this goal it will require you the people of L.A. and me, as Mayor, to roll up our sleeves and work elbow-to-elbow together, or it won’t be done. What has to be done has to be done.

I am not asking for you to give something to your city, rather, I am asking you to join me in doing something with, and for your city.

I am not asking not for your gifts, but for your assistance, because hand-in-hand, united in our common cause, we will NOT fail.

I believe there is no greater force than the will and spirit of the people of Los Angeles if we choose to unite and work together.

The Committee to elect

YJ Draiman for Mayor of Los Angeles in 2017

YJ Draiman believes in principles and integrity over profit and personal gain

Life is about discovering who we are; leading is about striving to become better than we are, and helping everything and everyone around us to become better too.YJ Draiman for Mayor of Los Angeles 2017

How will YJ Draiman affect the campaign issues for Los Angeles Mayor in 2017

YJ Draiman for Mayor of Los Angeles 2017

Dear Fellow Los Angelinos

Thank you for taking a few moments to learn more about my ideas for building a new Los Angeles.
I appreciate your interest in my campaign and hope my jobs plan will provide you with a better understanding of the type of Mayor I hope to be – one focused on transparency and putting Los Angelinos back to work.

Los Angeles faces one of the most challenging times in our city’s history.
Because of the unfriendly business environment, along with some of the highest tax rates in the nation, families and businesses are being forced to make unthinkable trade-offs, including living the city they love. But I am optimistic about Los Angeles future.

I am running for Mayor because I believe everything is still possible in Los Angeles. That is why as a Mayor that makes LA attractive to business and will create jobs, will be my priority. It is the only way we are going to clean up the mess in Los Angeles. I have a unique skill set and the detailed plan to get Los Angeles going again.

I have started businesses from the ground up and within a short time revenues exceeded $60 million a year. I have been involved in rehabilitation of whole neighborhoods; I have built a 5 star hotel and implemented energy efficiency for over 20 years. I operated a chain of electronics stores.

I think Los Angeles needs a little bit more of a business-like attitude. We have to be honest about our problems, and face them by offering grown-up solutions and put an end to the partisan bickering and hand-wringing that is business as usual.

I can effectively balance the interests of developers, big business and those who are well-situated and I am more concerned about the interests of everyday citizens."

If you do not know and admit that there is a problem, you cannot fix it. Our Pension liability is growing and if its solvency is not addressed, it will put LA into bankruptcy, our infrastructure is deteriorating, our water source is diminished, our utility rates and taxes are climbing. This must not only stop, but it must be reversed.

I am running for Mayor to reinvigorate Los Angeles economic potential – it will take time and the effort of all the people of Los Angeles. We shall overcome these economic hardships if we work together as a unified force.

If you have any suggestions on how we can move Los Angeles forward, please contact our campaign. We will listen. We want this campaign to be special, one that addresses your concerns and speaks to your hopes for what a new Los Angeles can be.

Together, we can put Los Angeles back to work and make our City great again and call it the city that works.

YJ Draiman for Mayor of Los Angeles 2017

PS
Draiman is determined to bring a new approach to Los Angeles. One that demands we help struggling businesses and attract new businesses that create jobs, increase revenues and lowers taxes. A city government that provides better efficiency and expedited better services. I propose a city government that makes it a priority and commits itself to improving our schools. A city that is committed to improve public transportation and revive our industrial base.

Draiman has a plan to make Los Angeles economic vitality flourish.
Make Los Angeles Competitive again, raise the standard of living, grow the tax base and help put an end to the yearly budget problems in Los Angeles.﻿

Los Angeles Ethics commission lists YJ Draiman and Eric Garcetti (the current mayor) as Candidates for Mayor of Los Angeles 2017 both have filed the necessary documents to be listed as candidates for Mayor in the 2017 LA Mayoral elections and can start fundraising.

Thank you for visiting the YJ Draiman for Mayor of Los Angeles Web Site.

Within a short time, the voters in LA will have an opportunity to make history! For more than 30 years we have been ruled by incumbency and incompetence, waste and inefficiency, fiscal irresponsibility, which has brought us to the verge of financial disaster. It is time to change the elected officials in LA City Hall.
Or, do you want more of the same and lose core services, pay more taxes, face unemployment and have the roof over your head taken away from you.

Los Angeles 2017Honesty, Integrity and service to the people of Los Angeles

LA faces a chronic budget crisis that threatens critical services and weakens our competitiveness against other major cities. To meet that crisis head on, city government has to be reinvented. It has to deliver better services to residents and businesses and better value to LA taxpayers. Transparency and accountability must be improved, and LA will have to make tough budget choices at the same time that it invests in and plans for the future. Draiman’s Government Reinvention and Fiscal Sustainability Agenda details more than $900 million in efficiencies and better use of existing resources to support reinvention and balance LA’s budget.

Immediately Address the City's Fiscal Imbalance

LA’s 2011 budget relied heavily on reserve funds and stimulus money that is no longer available. Delay in addressing the financial crisis won’t work, and Draiman will begin immediately to implement reforms and balance the budget when he takes office. Just like households and businesses around the city have to do, having some money left at the end of the year is an important discipline and a sign that the city has started to live within its means.

$600 million dollar plus proposed budget solution

Freeze spending and order efficiency measures on day one

Draiman’s budget agenda outlines strategies, from setting and enforcing performance benchmarks to streamlining the bureaucracy that will drive down government spending. Strategies that produce the most immediate savings will be prioritized and implemented on an expedited basis to outperform the 2012 budget targets. Draiman will freeze spending, and department heads will be directed to review all operations and produce a plan within sixty days of taking office to cut city spending by more than $95 million from 2012 budgeted levels.

Make Performances Measurement Public and Set Targets for Cost Reductions and Service Quality Improvements

LA’s performance measurement program is ineffective, lacks focus, and has two fundamental flaws. First, the program does not establish the unit cost of services or benchmark services against other comparable public and private sector leaders. Second, the program is not subject to public review and regular reporting to the City Council. Draiman will change that.

Draiman will tie performance measures to a limited number of clearly defined goals for the City. Managers will be held accountable for meeting or beating goals and employee training and evaluation will be driven by continuous improvement of both service quality and efficiency. To support continuous improvement, critical services will be prioritized and benchmarked against other comparable cities and public and private sector top performers for both the quality and cost of service. There will be measurable cost reduction and service improvement targets for each performance measure, they will be reported to the public and City Council, and quarterly progress reports will be issued. The reporting will include an easy to access dashboard and exception report that flags any measure that doesn’t meet the target or shows a negative performance trend.

Empower commissioners with “charter agency” status

Draiman will bring the best people to City Hall to manage LA departments, and give them the autonomy and flexibility they need to achieve programmatic goals in innovative ways. By creating a “charter agency” status, Draiman will set performance measures and then free commissioners to achieve goals by increasing management flexibility and reducing bureaucratic interference. He will hold leadership teams accountable for results and ensure they remain accountable to the public and City Council, and create incentives to outperform benchmarks, like allowing departments to share budget savings so that they can invest them in better programs and services. Draiman’s rigorous performance management plan will save $50 million.

Streamline the bureaucracy, eliminate outdated and duplicative work processes and focus on front-line service delivery to save $110 million

LA’s bureaucracy is outdated, inefficient and diverts scarce resources from critical services. Draiman will reorganize government to improve accountability and management effectiveness and reduce costs by $140 million. This is not about simply consolidating department or cutting positions – it’s about rethinking the way that City government is structured and operates.

The greatest cost savings come from reducing layers of management bureaucracy and consolidating redundant tasks, producing $100 million from increased efficiency and productivity. Draiman will also look for opportunities to merge departmental functions and establish clear costs for internal services resulting in $40 million in savings. For example, General Services and Fleet Management could be merged, and the Department of Innovation and Technology could fold into the Budget Office. The consolidation and mergers will save money through strategies that include eliminating unnecessary layers of management and improving performance and accountability for all city services – from buying energy to programming city buildings and innovation in city fleet and transportation. Technology expenditures will focus on improving services and saving money instead of expensive systems and inflated salaries. The cost of internal services like fleet and building maintenance, billing and payroll processing will be benchmarked and cost reduction targets will be set and met.

YJ Draiman for Mayor ID 1337783

"Let us take back our city and make it Los Angeles governed by the people for the people"

"We have flown the air like birds and swum the sea like fishes, but have yet to learn the simple act of walking the earth like brothers"

Almighty G-d, You have given us this good land for our heritage. We humbly ask You that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of Your favor and glad to do Your will. Bless our land with honorable endeavor, sound learning and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion, from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties and fashion into one united people the multitude brought here out of many nations and tongues. Endow with the Spirit of wisdom those to whom in Your Name we entrust authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that through obedience to Your law we may show forth Your praise among the nations on earth. In time of prosperity fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble do not allow our trust in You to fail. Amen.